Jabbin goes ahead of the others. He looks for a nice place for him and the wounded team to bunk down for the night. The sky is almost black now, after watching the crazy lights in the room it is hard for him to get his eyes adjusted. It seems everyone is sleeping in this town, but with one wrong move the team could have the whole town after them. Jabbin can't seem to find a suitable hiding place for his companions. He sneaks back to the party, holding is sword that is sheathed to his side so it don't clank against his side. "Maybe one of you can find something better." He stands and waits.

Quhark remains silent for a while, haunting the crew like a ghost.

He thinks about his evil powers mentioned before. He became faster but weaker than in his normal form.

Later on, he asks his allies: "If we are a team, we should have a nickname for ourselves, for example: The adventurers or something."

Alex stood there, staring at her. "It's finally time."

Alex walked up to her, where a sord ended up inches from his neck. She held the sword to his neck, stating "Who are you?"

Alex laughed, and the sword got one inch closer. "Don't make me ask twice!"

Alex laughed even more. Then he began to reach for his sword. The sword the woman was holding touched Alex's neck. "Don't even think about it!" she said. "I'm not afraid to kill you!"

Alex smirked. "How foolish. I'm not the one who should be afraid of dying here...YOU SHOULD!"

The sword went through his neck. Blood shot out of his neck into multiple directions. The woman said, "I warned you...now come out for real this time."

Alex...the real Alex, walked out from behind a tree. "How perceptive of you. You saw right through my sword technique."

The fake Alex fell to the ground and changed into a sword. Alex held out his hand and the sword flew towards him. "Just hat I would expect from a Grade A swordswoman like yourself. Unfortunately for you, you have information that you shouldn't, and for that you must be eliminated."

The woman swung her sword in a triangle and then pointed it to Alex. "Sorry Alex, but this information could be the secret to giving Elegrand the edge. You see, by telling the Elegrand Emperor what I know, Walsko will be destroyed in a matter of days."

Alex smiled. "So you say. Well then, I'll just have to kill you to keep you quiet, since you obviously aren't going to surrender."

Alex thought to himself, "The legendary Emperor Exibus of Elegrand. The most powerful swordsman in the world. He really thinks he can destroy Walsko while I'm protecting it? He must've forgotten that he failed countless times already. That's exactly what I would expect from someone like him." He then told the girl, "I'm sorry, Julie, but it's time to die."

Julie prepared to fight, standing in an offensive position. She said, "Sorry, but I'm not the one who's going to die here. Elegrand will finally destroy Walsko, and you WILL be publically executed."

Both Alex and Julie charged at each other, ready to fight each other.

(OoC: Apologies for the late update)

Juilen, Luna, Jamie, Quhark, Cross, and Jabbin

After much searching, the group manages to find a safe place for the night, when Juilen locates a deep tunnel in the back cave wall of the town. There they set up camp for the night, and manage to get some rest.

In the morning, they wake, refreshed and at peak strength once again. As the others are getting their things together, Quhark comes back with news.

"I woke a few hours ago," he says "and decided to explore these catacombs a bit more.Turns out that the waterfall isn't the only way out of here."

"Well that's god news for us, since they have the town searching for us out there." Jabbin says. "I just took a look out, and nearly got caught. Thankfully, they didn't see me before I saw them."

"No time to waste then" Luna says. "We need to go now."

So the group sets out, following Quhark through tunnel after tunnel, the path quickly becomes confusing, and the others can't help but wonder if Quhark is lost. Finally, a good thirty twists and fifteen, and possibly one loop-de-loop later, they see a light shining at the end of the tunnel.

"Hmm...my instincts normally tell me not to go to the light at the end of the tunnel, but I think this case may be an exception." Juilen says with a smile, relieved that they have found a safe way out.

As the last of them climbs through the tiny hole in the tunnel ceiling, it occurs to them, that they have traveled a long way underground, and are all now very much lost.

"Oh blast it!" Cross exclaims in frustration "Where is my ship from here??"

Just then, a loud and all too familiar roar sounds in the distance, and the ground beneath them begins to rumble.

"Here comes our beast again." Says Quhark, ominously.

"Wait...I have to share it with you!" Jamie shouts, unaware that he makes no sense to any of his mates.

After a few moments of awkward silence and stares, Luna asks what he is talking about.

"Oh, well this man...thing, it appeared in front of me and gave me the light magic that I used to heal Sael. He told me that I needed to share it with you." Jamie answers, sounding only slightly less crazy to his friends now. "Gather round".

Confused, but obedient, the team gathers in a huddle, as Jamie holds his staff out over them. A glow begins to emanate from the end of the staff, which quickly from into a sphere, as it does so, it moves out over the group, and slowly descends on them all.

What follows, surprises them all.

Luna is the first to complete the transformation. Her clothes are now a bright white, and a diamond is embroidered about an inch below her collarbone. The blade in her hand has a faint glow about it, from haft to tip.

Next is Juilen, who's armor becomes the shiniest of silver any man has ever seen, as does his hammer. He also wears a string that wraps around his head, with a Topaz in the center of it, on his forehead.

Sael's garments change to a flowing white gown, with silver strands, and a golden waistband with Rubies set in it.

Jabbin looks down at himself to find himself in a coat of golden armor, and his blade too emits a faint glow, and has three Rubies in it's hilt, in the shape of a triangle.

Quharks clock is now white, and he sports a yellow collar, with a diamond in it.

Even the new face, Cross, gets a new look, as his attire changes to that of a nobleman, and his blade is garnished with a Sapphire in the blade itself, and a glow emanates from it as well.

"What...what just happened?" Luna asks, bewildered.

"I can't explain it, but the power of the light now abides in you. We need it to defeat this dark beast" Juilen answers.

No sooner had he spoken the words, than the six foot beast that gave them chase previously, appeared through the trees. Catching sight of them, it comes charging.

(Juilen and Jamie -3 Health, Jabbin -2 health, Luna, Quhark and Cross -1 health. You win. Tell us about the battle, and don't forget you take a little damage)


Alex

The battle is more intense than either side had anticipated, as both parties show a great skill in battle. As they both begin to wear out, Alex takes a stab to try and pierce his foe, but she manages to sidestep his attack, and answers with an upward slash that misses Alex' arm, but knocks his sword out of his hand. He runs after his blade, but his foe follows. As he grabs it, she lunges at him, but Alex is not one to easily be fooled, and he, foreseeing this strike, tucks and rolls to the side. Rising to his feet with a lunge, she blocks his attack, and the two locks blades. After a bit of a struggle, she plants a foot firmly in his abdomen, and shoves him to the ground. Capitalizing on his temporary vulnerability, she pounces with her blade pointed down, but Alex thinks quickly, and raises his feet, catching and flipping her over his head. The landing on her back leaves her winded, and Alex seizes the opportunity, and finishes her with a clean and quick stab.

"You were a far more formidable foe than I had anticipated." Alex says. "Such a shame that you wasted your life fighting for Exibus"

Not one to disrespect such a worthy foe, Alex takes the time to bury her body. By the time he is finished, the sun has risen on the land, driving all shadows back to their hiding place until nightfall.


Toot

"You there." Toot says, as he steps out of the shadows, dressed in the attires of the guard he just killed. "Were you among the group that transported a young female prisoner though here earlier?"

"Aye. But what does such a thing matter?" The Elite asks.

"She should have stopped here. Your orders were to leave her here" Toot says, trying to sound angered.

"I should say not!" The elite says indignantly, as he straightens his body and looks at Toot squarely. "We were clearly instructed to take her to Eirabor."

'That was too easy' Toot thinks to himself.

"Oh? Well then, perhaps I was mistaken, sir." Toot says with a bow. "I hope a member of the elite guard such as yourself can find it in him to pardon the transgression of a worm like myself."

"Very well." The Elite says, as he turns and walks away with a triumphant stride.

"Very well done, boy." Toot's companion says with a grin.

"Thank you. Do you know where Eirabor is from here though?" Toot asks.

"Aye. It be a half day's journey to the North" The man answers.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Toot asks, and immediately heads off for the city, with both he and his new friend wearing guard's clothing.

Along the way, they encounter a band of robbers, who mistake them for guards, and attack. Toot barely dodges an arrow aimed at his head. It's obvious that they won't be talked down, and so battle begins.

(-2 Health Toot, -1 health Old man)

Still not knowing very much about light magic. Jamie shouts, "I'm sorry guys I won't be of much use here, I still can't, or rather, don't know how to fight with this new magic yet. But at least, I can attempt to distract it." Jamie runs up to the mysterious creature and it swings at Jamie with it's tail full force, knocking the wind out of Jamie but he manages to grab onto it while the creature swings it back to behind him bringing Jamie with him, standing up regaining balance Jamie jumps onto the back of the creature distracting it away from the rest of the group. "Attack now everyone !" Jamie shouts while the creature is whipping it's tail up behind him pounding me. "Quick !"

"Peculiar power...I must see it's worth!" Luna draws her sword from her back, it swinging into the ground before she lifts it again. "This day you shall face your death, foul beast!" She shouts as she begins to charge at the the monster at an incredible speed and swings her blade at it constantly, a flash of light and an ominous howl with each hit. Pure light energy falls from her blade as droplets with each hit, creating a splash of light around the creature. However, it grabs Luna's sword as she goes to strike it's face and lifts both it and Luna and then smashes her on the ground. Luna staggers up, the beast now distracted by her allies. "Die monster..."

Quhark uses his magic cloak to turn completely invisible.
Then he climbs the back of the monster then starts scratching the skin off the monster with no effect, since his claws are not affected by the magic. The magic collar increased his strength, but the time he discovered this the monster grabbed him and launched him into a tree.

As the arrow flies by Toot's head, time seems to flow slowly, like honey. As the arrow zips past his ear, Toot unsheathes his sword, and proceeds to fling it at the robber who shot the arrow, stabbing him squarely in the shoulder. Toot rushes over, takes his sword, and parries a knife coming straight for his head. 

The old stranger grabs a few rocks and flings them at amazing speeds for an old senior, and hit two robbers, one in the neck area, the other in the mouth. The one hit in the mouth starts cursing and bending over in pain. Toot walks up to him and stabs him in the chest. 

"What is happening to me?" Toot wonders. "How is it that I am so quick to kill, without second thought...a straight stab in the chest. Why am I so...bloodthirsty? This is not me..." 

"Why are you staring at him, so glumly?" asks the old stranger. We should head out. 

Jabbin looks at himself in a dirty puddle of water. "I look like my old troop leader." (He refers to the commander of the goblin raiders that Jabbin was part of.) He looks up at all of his friends fighting the beast. It is flung into a tree by one of them but it gets right back up. Jabbin charges in to battle. He gets as close to the beast as he can and swings his sword back and forth trying to cut its throat. He hits it a few times but not in the spot he his aiming for. The beast opens its mouth. Jabbin thinks fast to the first battle that his party fought. When they killed the monkeys, he took some of their claws and teeth! Jabbin reaches into his pack and pulls out the handfull of razor sharp claws and teeth and throws them into the open mouth of the beast. It seems to have hurt it in a serious way but there is no way to be sure.

"Of course!" says Quhark.
"The inside is weak, one of us must be eaten to defeat it."
Quhark knows that this is not his moment of triumph, as his claws have dulled over time.

Aled finished burying Julie. "That certainly was a fun battle," he thought to himself. "But it took way too long. Those kids already found the tunnel. Luckily the beast slowed them down, but I have to get there as quickly as possible. I might have to kill them now, but if they found out what Julie found out..."

Alex stepped on his sword with both of his feet. "It's a good thing that I learned all 10 Shorukezibi Sword Techniques." He bent down and shouted, "Sword Technique No. 7! SWORD DASHER!"

Alex shot through the air at rocket speed towards Walsko. "I never should've took them to Walsko," he thought to himself. "But letting an innocent woman die...I can't do that."

Alex arrived at Walsko. "Now I have to reach those kids before they detect my survelliance bug.

Alex reached the hidden tunnel and followed the tracks to find a group of people fighting a beast.

Alex took out his sword and pointed it towards the beast, and then shouted "Sword Technique No. 8! INFINITE SLASHER!" Alex warped past the beast, seemingly cutting it into thousands of pieces. He looked at the group of people staring at him. His anger was clearly inscribed in his face. "You shouldn't have come here. My assumption is that you are working for Exibus." He held his sword out towards the people staring at him. "I warned you, and you didn't listen. I hope that you all are ready to die."

Alex turned around and saw that beast in fact wasn't dead. "But first, I have to kill this thing. I don't know how it survived my Infinite Slasher..."

Edit - Never mind. Sorry...
Second Edit - After Eirinn's update below me

The beast launches itself against the hard rock wall of the cave, knocking Jamie aside. Raising my staff I shout "Yol !" and nothing happens. Remembering again, no longer having my powers of darkness the beast swipes at me, I raise my arm to try to protect myself the beast swings, breaking my arm. Bone is seeable through broken skin, "Ahh !" Using my other hand to pick up my staff, feeling a weird strength inside my head begin to hurt, putting my good arm, while still holding the staff, against my head to try to stop the head ache, the orb starts to glow and *OoC below please* begins to glow with an ominous healing glowing feel. "What is happening... None of this makes any sense."

* OoC - Whoever decides to go inside the beast, just think of this post for after who decides since I might not be on later, I don't wanna hold up the RP*

(OoC: My apologies, I failed to explain that the beast can only be killed by light. So those with the light transformation must finish him, but the others may fight as well. With that said, consider the beast as being alive still. I will wait until you guys finish it to update.)

(OOC: Lol @ Megaman's godmodding)

Juilen lured the beast away from Jamie. But he tripped, and fell on his face. When it looked as if he would become beast food, he hit it on the foot, stunning it somehow, with it's mouth wide open. "Now's your chance! Someone get inside it!"

Luna stands in front of the monster. "You don't belong in this world!" She shouts as she she quickly swings he blade up, impaling the roof of it's mouth and lodging her blade inside, holding it's mouth open. The beast swings it's head back but Luna holds on, landing on it's head when it stops. She pulls out a dagger and starts stabbing at it. "If truly you believe that it's peril lies from within, now is your chance!"

Quhark accidentally rubs the diamond on his collar. His claws glow and look like Luna's sword.
As Luna and Julien shout "Now is your chance!" Quhark says "I'm going to regret this.", he takes a running start  and leaps into the mouth of the monster.
The monster goes crazy then falls to the ground.
The team keeps a moment of silence in honor of Quhark, then, suddenly the skin of the monster is ripped and Quhark crawls out with a Ruby hearth that has been stabbed with a black crystal.
"I'm NEVER going to do this AGAIN!"Quhark give Luna the hearth then he collapses on the ground of tiredness, resting on the grass for a bit,"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Luna holds it, watching the defeated monster collapsed on the ground. "Let this be the end of chaos..." she says as she places the heart on the ground. She goes to the beast's mouth and retrieves her sword and holds it high above the lowered, still beating heart. She plunges her sword down into it, creating a huge flash of light as the heart sprays blood everywhere, the ruby in it, smashing and emitting red beams of light. She plunges her blade further through it, into the ground which starts shaking. The heart disappears in another flash and the skin of the beast starts to rot, as if it had been dead for a long time. Luna releases her sword, which remains lodged in the ground and falls to one knee, panting in exhaustion.

"Impressive..." Alex looked at the tired group. "If I had known that it was weak to light, I would've used a different technique."

He held his sword forward. "Now that the beast is dealt with, now it is time to deal with you guys. For trespassing and disturbing the peace of Walsko, you will die here and now."

Alex stood in an offensive stance and shouted "Sword Technique No. 3! SHORUKEZIBI BARRIER!"

A barrier appeared in the direction that the group was headed as well as the direction that Alex came from. "That barrier is impenetrable. Which means you're only way out is to kill me. And since you won't, I hope you are ready to die."

Sael, Alex, Juilen, Luna, Jamie, Quhark, Cross, and Jabbin (OoC: wow that's a lot of names to list. I think it's fair to say this RP is a bit more popular than the last two I hosted )

All of the adventurers look disbelievingly at Alex. They had just traversed a good mile in a dark and damp underground catacomb, been through a mind-bending transformation that even they didn't yet understand, and exhausted most all of their energy fighting against a beast of uncanny strength, and all this on half a night's sleep after being harassed by guards, and he wanted a fight?

"Now? Really?" Jabbin answers. "Well that's a coward's tactic if ever I've seen one."

"How so?" Alex asks, a bit confused and highly offended. No man of his stature and ability would be any less. If anything, Alex felt that his reaction was very well controlled, and gracious toward such an ungrateful group of wide-eyed wanderers, out to save the world whilst he took on tasks that were actually real.

"You can see how exhausted we all are," Jabbin explains with a bit of contempt for this man before him "why Quhark here canna (cannot) even stand up without so much as staggering, and Luna, why she's so drained she'd do well to even lift such a heavy blade as she carries right now. And Jamie here, why he's only just relearning his abilities, while Juilen has a fresh bite that goes nearly through his whole shoulder. You see all of us in a shape like this, and NOW is the time ya choose to battle us? Nay, man, you seek an easy prey. Truth is, you fear us at our peak strength. That's why ya waited until now to strike us, else why did ya not find us whilst we slept in your city?"

"I will not tolerate such accusations against my dignity!" Alex answers, more than a little angered at Jabbin's words.

"Oh, right. So you choose to prove my words wrong by slaying my mates and I, when we're too exhausted to fight back." Jabbin retorts. "That'll really show us that you aren't a coward, now won't it?" Alex could swear that he saw a faint smile on Jabbin's face for a moment. This goblin truly believed the words he spoke. And is it victory enough that one know his own integrity? Was not the objective of a good man to seek to prove his own fairness by his actions?

"Alright, beast." Alex relented and let down the barriers "I will let you live for now, but I will overtake you and conquer you later. Besides, I have more pressing matters at hand that I must deal with. I must see why such an uprising is occurring in Exibus' realm. I haven't time to waste on such filthy pests as yourselves."

"What did you call us?" Jabbin asks.

"Nothing more than what you are: filthy pests." Alex says, pleased to see Jabbin's reaction to his words.

"Say that again, and I'll"

"Jabbin." Luna interrupts. "You're in no condition to fight right now. If you must, battle at a later date. A fight right now would prove nothing."

"Luna is right, Jabbin. Stay your anger." Quhark adds, still panting from exhaustion.

"Aye." Jabbin concedes. "This isn't over though."

"Of that, you can be certain, goblin." Alex says, as he cautiously turns his back and walks away. Of course he will be planning his battle for their next encounter, and he will be sure that happens very soon.

"You made the right choice, Jabbin." Juilen says, proud of his friend. "We can show him that he doesn't want to mess with us later, when we're in fighting condition."

"Indeed." Sael says as she sits under the shade of a nearby tree. "And now is a time for celebration. We have slain the cursed beast, and rescued the land from the grasp of it's evil power. I thank you all for your aid. And you most of all, Jamie. We couldn't have done it without your powers, and I wouldn't be alive. Thank you."

Jamie, too embarrassed by the praise of all of his comrades to voice an answer, simply smiles and nods toward Sael. Despite all of the joy of his comrades, Jamie can't help but feel that something still isn't quite right, but he decides to keep his reservations to himself for the time being.


Toot

Toot looks down at his blood covered blade, then up at at his ally and nods. Together they set off for Eirabor, but while the man with him talks almost incessantly, Toot is silent for the most part, as he deals with the thoughts in his head.

'Who have I become? what have I become?' Toot wonders inside. As he steals a glimpse of his reflection in a puddle, half tainted by the muddy mixture, he can't help but question what is truly behind that man he saw looking back at him.

Man. What did that word even mean? He hadn't grown much taller since he was a boy taking care of his family, but now he was a man for some reason?

'Surely manhood isn't a thing of age/ Toot reasons within himself. 'Am I then a man, or a monster? I have killed several men in these past few hours, and feel no remorse for it. And for what? To find my sister? And how do I know that the men I killed weren't doing the same? What makes my cause more just than theirs? People are people, and family is family. Yet I have taken lives, more than I care to list, this past day, assuming myself just in doing so. What then, sets me apart from the common murderer? And why do I feel no shame nor remorse for these deeds? Have I no conscience? And what of the families of all of those men whom I slew?' His thoughts take a turn, as he turns to look at his new partner on the journey, as he hears him, far away as he sounds, speaking of something to do with Eggs, or something similar. 'What if this man is no more than a murderer as well? He has no real purpose to follow with me on this quest at all. It is my sister, not his. And yet, he is content to slay masses as we journey on, and he feels no more remorse than I. What have I done? Does my sister even need to see me like this? Would she not be better if I let her alone? At least she wouldn't know what her brother has become...'

"Toot? Toot?" Toot hears the man with him calling. Judging by the look on his face, he had been calling out for some time.

"I'm sorry, what is it?" Toot asks, as he comes back to the present.

"What ails ya, boy?" The man asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

Could it be that this man knew what Toot was feeling? He had been arrested before, so perhaps killing was his true crime, and perhaps then, he could understand. But then, he didn't really seem to. He didn't even seem to realize that those were human beings that they had just slain only a few hours ago. Toot looks ahead and sees Eirabor coming into view. The perfect opportunity to dodge this man's question, but then, wouldn't that just be more running from problems? Toot felt as though he had become all too good at that lately. Perhaps he should begin changing that now. Uncertain what to do, he looks back and the man, and decides to...

What does Toot do?
- Tell him. He needs to be honest with this man, and running from the question would only further his problem of running from things

Evade the question by pointing out that they've arrived at Eirabor. It's the perfect excuse not to pour such sensitive thought out to a total stranger that has no problems with killing people. Besides, he doesn't have a problem with running from things, he just chooses his battles.